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Your Own Mer-writing
message 101:
by
Garrett
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Apr 19, 2011 08:08PM
Yay, and you'll love the book! It's really funny. It actually made me laugh, and it's difficult for a book to make me actually laugh out loud.
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Guitar Chick wrote: "I'm still working on the sequel to Soul. It's pretty cool. I had one of the friends try out the whole mermaid thing and I think she's going to get called out to sea because the population is draini..."That's so cool! It'd be funny if you could add a joke in there somewhere that's somewhere along the lines of, "They ALL want to be humans? Maybe they've been watching too much of 'The Little Mermaid.'"
They're studying the original story in class with a crazy English teacher who is probably going to find out about all this merness.
Oh, yeah. I remember reading that part. Have you included any seawitches yet? Maybe the teacher could be one, that'd be an interesting twist. I've always wanted to add cecaelias in my stories (half-human/half-octopus) but for some reason, I could never come up with a decent story about them.
I think I've made too many locals mer in this book so I think I might lay off for a bit.I don't want everybody to be semi-aquatic, it'll take away some of the wonder.
So many different ideas going on in here, I'm imspired! You guys all seem so creative, it's awesome. I've been itching to work on my own idea, but my ideas keep changing...all I know is that there are mermaids and it's a period story that will span a generation or two.
Cool Dana. Can't wait to see some work.
Jeez....you guys are geniuses.....I can't even look at my mermaid novel...it sucks so bad, and i'm only on page five!!!!!! Ugh...
Just keep writing, and get someone to help edit. I'd be happy to.
Just finished outlining an entire novel, which is most definitely going to be the first in a series! Can't wait to start writing and to share it with you guys!
Can't wait to see it :) I'm also working on editing my first as well. Hey Garett, I'd love to co-write with you. If you ever have a stray idea maybe we could both work on it and see what happens.
Guitar Chick wrote: "Can't wait to see it :) I'm also working on editing my first as well. Hey Garett, I'd love to co-write with you. If you ever have a stray idea maybe we could both work on it and see what happens."
Awesome! I really wanna co-write with you, too. I have a few stray ideas that concern mermaids, if you want to hear them. But I also have several other ideas non-mermaid-related, if you want those too. I'll message you.
Garrett wrote: "Here's a picture of how I see my main character, a mermaid named Serena:"
where do you get all these beautiful mermaid images. lovely :)
Most of them I get on deviantart.com. There are some very talented artists on that website!
Guitar Chick wrote: "Go ahead Garrett :)"So, did you get my message?
Awesome! You chose the idea I liked best! That'll be a good story, although I have no idea on what to name the main character.
I heard about these books! I've been wanting to try them out! Time to add to my to-read list! :)
Awesome! I'm definitely going to add it to my to-read list! You've got me wanting to find out more about the mermaids!
I always look forward to more mer-books :) Can't wait to see your writing!
i write stuff but come so stupid later after a pages argg
Okay, guys, here's a teaser from the book I'm currently working on! Hope you like it!Not every little girl daydreams about the day she gets her first trident. But then again, I’m not like other girls. I didn’t want a car, a cell phone, or even my first kiss. Instead, I’d settle for a three-pronged weapon of mass destruction. Every warrior was bestowed their very own trident on their eighteenth birthday. My time had finally arrived.
“I know you don’t turn eighteen for a few more months,” my father commanded. “But Linnea and the other Sirens agree that you have immense potential as a Mer warrior, and they felt the time was right. Now, you must realize that wielding a weapon endowed with powerful magicks such as this requires a vast amount of-----”
My mother sighed resignedly and shook her head. “Oh Adrian, for goddess’ sake, just give it to her. The girl’s practically dying of impatience.” Thanks, Mom. For once she and I actually agreed on something.
My father gave a thin smile. “Okay, fine. I just want her to be safe, Tamara, that’s all.” My father leaned forward and carefully handed me my early birthday present.
Encased in a shiny foil-wrapped package, I expected it to be heavy, but it was surprisingly lightweight. Without further hesitation, I ripped the wrapping paper from the long flat box and pried off the lid. My breath caught in my throat.
“Oh my goddess, Dad, it’s so beautiful!” I exclaimed happily. Carefully lifting it from the package, I held the trident up to the light. Power vibrated against my fingertips, the magickal energies invoked within the trident flooding through me and filling me with a sense of power and strength I’d never felt before.
The trident was seven and a half feet long, sculpted from titanium and inlaid with gems that gleamed opalescent in the light. It flared out at its base into three razor-sharp points, each capable of impaling and killing my enemies with one swipe. When I touched it, I knew it was mine. Like it belonged to me-----like it had been created just for me to brandish. It was perfect. I twirled it in the air like a baton, then caught it single-handedly. My fingers tightened on the handle. “Thank you so much! I love it!”
My father smiled proudly, his gray eyes twinkling. My mother looked equally pleased. Leaning forward, Dad wrestled to pry the trident from my hands, but I admit it took him a great deal of effort.
“I want to show you something,” he said. He pointed at a dazzling crystal set at the base of the trident, just before it extended outward into its death-delivering tips. The crystal matched the stone tied around my neck. Every Mer was given a similar one upon their birth.
“See this stone?” he continued. “It matches the one in your pendant. Both crystals hold identical magickal energies, making them two joined forces. By channeling the magick within your pendant, you can summon forth your trident at will. You can conjure it in and out of existence. Go ahead. Try it.”
I clutched the trident tightly and closed my eyes, focusing on willing the trident to vanish. Suddenly, the stone at the base of my neck warmed and my eyes jerked open to see the pendant pulsing with a warm, bright glow and I felt a deluge of heat flow through me. My hand abruptly felt empty, and I looked down to see my trident was gone. I looked at my father in surprise.
“Focus,” he urged. “Make it return to you.”
I closed my eyes and centered myself, building energy inside me. This time I concentrated on willing my trident to reappear. The stone at my neck reheated, and there was a sudden heaviness in my hand. I reopened my eyes to see my trident had returned.
“See, Adrian?” Mom pointed out. “She’s fine.” My mother hugged me tightly. “You’ll make a fine warrior, Gemma.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I said, smiling contentedly. “This is the best present ever. Thank you both.”
The front door opened and Calder walked into the room. My younger brother stopped and stared when his eyes found the trident I was holding.
“Damn, Gemma, you could inflict some major damage with that thing!” he teased. “I wouldn’t want to be the unlucky bastard on the other end of that handle.” Mom gave him a disapproving look about his language usage, while Dad and I burst out laughing.
“Yeah, well, don’t piss me off and you won’t be,” I joked back, flicking my wrist and willing the trident to disappear. In a flurry of sparks, it vanished. I turned to my parents. “I think I’m gonna go out for a nighttime swim.” I walked to them and hugged them tightly. “Thank you both again.” Walking past Calder, I ruffled his hair. He was only two years younger than me, but he was already taller and extremely well-muscled. “Later, little bro.”
The seaside mansion I lived in with my parents and brother sat adjacent to an isolated strand of beach privately owned by my father. A small dock was built extending out into the water, a tiny dinghy tied up next to it. Having your own private beach proves to be useful when you’re Mer. No humans, no motorboats or jet skis, and no invasion of privacy means we can change back and forth from our two forms without intrusion.
I stepped onto the shabby little dock and undressed myself. Fully naked, I bent my body into a curving arc and dived into the sea without even making a splash. As soon as my head went below water, I focused on shifting forms. A crackling pure light engulfed my whole body as I changed into my mermaid form. With a flick of my long powerful tail, I surged through the midnight-colored depths.
My tail was covered in iridescent scales bathed in shades of purple and magenta. From the spot where the smooth flesh of my upper torso melded into glittering scales to the tip of my powerful tail fin, the tail was six and a half feet long, powerfully built and capable of striking and injuring an enemy. Retractable barbed spines ran down the length of the tail, and I knew a wound delivered by those tail-spines wouldn’t look pretty. Even the brilliantly colored tattoolike tribal markings that blemished my skin in swirling, languid lines looked beautiful, denoting me as a creature of the sea.
I love the first sentence...totally hooked me in ad got me interested. You right very well, Garrett! I love t to pieces
Thanks, Clarinetfriend! :D
I've been working on this one story for a while now, but I think it'd be better as a graphic novel or script better than an actual novel. (I'm going to have to learn how to draw if I want to do it in graphic novel form, which I'm leaning towards.) Or maybe I'll do like Antara, and write it as an illustrated novel, writing the story but also having pictures to show what's happening in the story.Anyway, here's the synopsis of my story:
A teenage girl, adopted and always wanting to know who her birth parents are, is haunted by the ocean’s call, inexplicably pulled to the water's edge. During this time she discovers her destiny as the Siren, a powerful mermaid warrior with magnificent powers over the sea, but her destiny lies in the ocean, meaning that she will have to return to the sea and battle the terrifying, evil sea monsters who are hell-bent on taking control of the underwater world, a world she has now unintentionally become a part of.
Oooh, that could be fun to play with, hahahahhahaha!
Whew. I've been outlining one of my stories and it's starting to tire me out. I'm describing my story, which is about mermaids, as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer with fins," as my character is a mermaid chosen to control the sea and protect her race from monsters, demons, and other creatures of the deep. And all this brainstorming, coming up with creatures and researching mythology, is really tiresome but still so much fun! I've researched creatures, gods and goddesses, and merfolk from different cultures and there's some really, really interesting stuff out there... :D
Yeah there is! I've done a lot of research for my books as well. What are your referances you're using? I'm starting in on the third Soul of the Sea book, Falling or Flying today :) Hope I can pump some adrenaline in this book. There's two more left in the series, and I thought about maybe a companion book for one of the characters. I don't want to take it overboard like James Patterson did with Maximum Ride.
Well, some things I used Wikipedia for, but also random mythology websites. Usually I just Google search and pick one of the first choices. I also looked at characters that had been done already in other stories, as many are based on actual myth, and looked up the legends that inspired that character to come up with my own creation.But there really is some interesting things. Like Tiamat, this ancient sea goddess, who has all these monster minions. (One source actually said that Tiamat was the one who created mermaids.) And, since my book is about a mermaid who battles monsters and the like, I thought the best choice for a villain would be the mother of all other monsters.
Sorry, I tend to ramble when I get really excited about something. :)
Nah it's cool. I do the same :) Ask me about my obssession and I will go on and on and on and on.
Lol, me, too. And sometimes I go on and on and on about my obsession without people even asking me to begin with. :D
In addition to writing my series (which I'm still vigorously outlining), I'm outlining a stand-alone book that features selkies, too. I'm really excited about it. It's a lot more "high fantasy" than I'm used to. :)
So I've pulled together a first edit on my second mermaid boook (I'm trying to re-name the series, seeing as I re-named the first book "Dancing Barefoot", but I don't want that to be the series title).And I've started Falling or Flying (the third) and I'm still editing Dancing Barefoot. I'll post links when they're a bit more polished.
Oooh, I like Dancing barefoot. :) Can't wait for the links.
I love coming up with titles. Right now, I'm calling my first book (part of the series that I describe as "Buffy" with fins) The Cruelest Sea, the second The Merciless Tide, and so on and so forth. I've tentatively titled the whole series (which I decreased from seven books to five, as a few of the books' plots just weren't working for me) the Sea Monster Slayer series, which is bound to change, eventually. My only concern is that I'll become so attached to a title, but then (if I ever get published) it would change when the book's being published. Oh well, I might never have to worry about that problem...But I also have no idea how to start the book, and I'm still debating whether to do first-person or third. Because a lot of things are going to happen, some things the narrator would be completely unaware of but I want the readers to know. Maybe I should do the first-person, but just switch from character to character each chapter? Any advice from my fellow writer friends? :) I can message anyone if they need to look at the actual story to see what might be best, 'cause Lord knows I sure don't. :D
Oh, I forgot to include this in my initial post. GC, do you think you might ever consider trying to get your stories published? Or maybe self-publish them? (I was about to self-publish one story, but I decided that would just be my practice novel, one that shall never see the light of day! :D)I think it'd be awesome to see them published or self-published, because I don't know many eighth graders who write as well as you, or have actually written an entire trilogy. :)
Well, third book is in progress. Can't claim to have completed it yet.I have thought about Kindle publishing, but I think I'm still trying to work on my things a bit more. Make sure your writing is the best it can be. NaNoWriMo writers sometimes get published, and if you finish it you get your book as prize.
I don't know how to go yet. Young people don't usually get published. I suggest you join the group I'm in. They taught me everything and quite a few of them are getting published.
I was thinking about joining - I really need a good writing group! :)This is random, but I just saw where you were moderator. That's such a coincidence, because earlier today, when I was off in LalaLand rather than doing schoolwork, I mentally noted to send you an email about becoming our third mod, since I'll be gone during the week. :)
Awesome :) Yeah, I was in Ambitious Writers when it had like thirteen people in it. And now we're nearly at two-thousand.
My story's gonna need a LOT more work before I post on Ambitious Writers. :D I want it to be perfect, so I'll probably revise later and then start posting. :)
GC, I had no idea that you're in eighth grade. And you've already got two--almost 3--books under your belt? I am SO impressed. Don't ever let age stop you from doing anything (well, except driving, drinking, voting and other things that the law puts an age requirement on) but def not publishing. Make sure your craft is strong and your stories are solid, but if/when you feel they're ready to be shared with the world, do it! Garrett, ahh that pesky POV problem. I feel your pain. When I first started writing Tangled Tides I tried it from 3rd, but it just didn't feel right. My characters didn't feel real to me when I wrote ABOUT them vs. telling their story THROUGH them. So I made a very risky choice of telling it from 1st BUT alternating between 3 different characters. (Actually the first draft was told from 4 but that changed.) Many readers will probably say they don't like that many POVs, but it's the only way that felt RIGHT and genuine to me so that's how I told it. As writers, we are the only ones who know our story and characters well enough to truly know what's best for them. I say write a couple scenes in first and then write those same scenes in 3rd and see which one feels right to you.
Just my two cents. :)
Karen wrote: "GC, I had no idea that you're in eighth grade. And you've already got two--almost 3--books under your belt? I am SO impressed. Don't ever let age stop you from doing anything (well, except driving,..."Karen, I think you voiced my feelings EXACTLY when you said third person made it seem like you were talking about them, rather than through them. I think that's the same problem I have. Third person doesn't make the characters seem real. And I have the same problem, too. I have so many different characters whom I need to get their emotions through. I'll probably have to alternate between POV's as well. After all, it's what feels right to the author of the book. Because in the end, you can't make everyone happy, but you should write what makes you happy. Thanks for the advice, Karen! I really needed someone's take on the POV problem, right from someone who has also dealt with it. :)
I pretty much always use first person. It's easier to connnect that way for me. I have no idea how J.K. Rowling made it through seven, sometiems very long, books writing in third person and still got everything across perfectly.
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The Marked Ones (other topics)The Marked Ones (other topics)
Goddess of the Night (other topics)
Antara (other topics)
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